In a bid to ensure peace and unity, the Ekiti State government on Tuesday inaugurated coordinators for the herders/farmers peace committee across the 16 local government areas of the state.
The Special Adviser to the governor on security, Brig. Gen Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd) who spoke during the inauguration of the coordinators in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital noted that the government was determined to ensure farmers and the headers live together without any form of acrimony in the state.
He explained that the peace committee which was put together by the governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi a few months ago following a series of clashes in the state, had achieved desired results with relative peace being experienced especially reduction in clashes between farmers and herders.
Ogundana disclosed that the government in the last three months had registered over 5,000 farmers and herders which he said would help the government to have the full data of those plying their trade in the state and as well in response to emergencies.
The governor’s aide maintained that the recent arrest of suspects relating to high-profile kidnapping cases was part of the measures by the government to ward off criminal elements from the state by offering material and emotional supports to the security agencies.
According to him, “Through the peace committee, we have been able to achieve peace in the state because herders and farmers are now living in peace as one family, you can see that in the reduction in clashes in the state. We are determined as a government to ensure people stay and go about their businesses without any crisis.
“So far so good, we have been able to register nothing less than 5,000 farmers and herders in our forest and other areas in the state. It is a way of resolving the crisis.”
He advised residents to continue their support to the government and security agencies towards making the state one of the safest in the country where investors would be comfortable to do business.
On his part, the commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Olabode Adetoyi said the present administration in the state was committed to peace, hence the constitution of credible individuals to serve as coordinators in the council areas for the peace committee.
Adetoyi added that “other states are now learning from the Ekiti on how to resolve the crisis between the herders and farmers because it has really worked here.”